One of the simplest ways to have a more successful day is to start with something that gives you energy.
A workout before you start work. Some fresh air before you settle at your desk. Doing the thing you’re most looking forward to first, rather than saving it for last.
Fuelling our energy first really works.
When I was away recently I hit a low point.
I hadn’t slept well for a few nights and was fed up of being in unfamiliar territory. I was under the weather, longing for some time and space on my own, and feeling very sorry for myself!
I found myself wishing I was back at home so I could take care of myself.
And then I stopped to think. What would I actually do if I was at home right now? What would help me feel better?
Sometimes, when we’re not feeling quite right but nothing is obviously wrong, it can be hard to pinpoint why we feel the way we feel. Something is niggling, but we can’t figure out what it is.
It can mean we go down all kinds of rabbit holes searching for an answer or trying to find something - or someone - to blame.
And we often don’t find it!
How do you feel about owning your “I”?
Sharing your perspective, your preferences, your priorities?
Communicating what you need in the moment - or what you’re looking for in the longer term?
Or are you hoping that your expressions, actions or work will speak for you, and the other person will figure it out for themselves?
Last week I spent a chunk of time back in Yorkshire on retreat.
The same venue, another brilliant group of women, another transformative experience to absorb and reflect on.
Usually I drive straight home afterwards, using the 5-hour drive to decompress before returning to my everyday life. This time I pit stopped with a friend for a night.
What a gift!
I absolutely love this book.
It’s one of my regular re-reads for many reasons, but one of the key ones is that the ideas in it have such wide applicability.
It’s a book about creating purposeful gatherings that also works for creating clarity and focus in our lives - so we can be clear on what matters most, and then organise our time and energy around it.
I have many of the key elements captured on Post-its, but my favourites are these: “Commit to a bold, sharp purpose” and “Close the door to create the room”.
And for that, you need to manage your “Bob’s”.
There are some books I re-read over and over.
The stories are so rich, and each time I come back to them I experience them differently.
They are the same words through fresh eyes. I’m in a different place in my life, and so I see them from a different perspective.
It’s the same with my own story, which changes shape depending on where I am in relation to it.
I’m endlessly fascinated by what brings out the best in us.
How do we like to work? How do we set our lives up so we can win at being us? What gives us good energy - inside and out?
We’re all uniquely wired, so it makes sense to take some time to figure it out. It gives us an incredible foundation, and pays back brilliantly when put into practice.
